On the cross of Calvary,
00:00:10.71\00:00:12.67
Christ embodied
sacrificial giving.
00:00:12.71\00:00:17.61
Jesus scarified himself
for the saving of others.
00:00:17.65\00:00:21.88
We see this all
throughout scriptures,
00:00:21.92\00:00:23.45
Galatians 2:20, the
apostle testifies that,
00:00:23.49\00:00:28.89
"The life which I
now live in the flesh,
00:00:28.92\00:00:32.03
I live by faith in
the son of God who,
00:00:32.06\00:00:34.20
love me and did what?
00:00:34.23\00:00:36.26
Gave himself."
00:00:36.30\00:00:37.63
Now, I'm gonna ask
you to be interactive,
00:00:37.67\00:00:39.93
when I say, love me and what?
00:00:39.97\00:00:41.54
You know that
text love me and what?
00:00:41.57\00:00:43.94
Gave himself, Ephesians 5:25,
00:00:43.97\00:00:47.04
"Husbands, have
to love their wives,
00:00:47.08\00:00:49.01
just as Christ
also loved the church,
00:00:49.04\00:00:51.18
and what? Gave himself."
00:00:51.21\00:00:53.62
1 Timothy 2:5, 6
00:00:53.65\00:00:56.18
"There is one God and
mediator between God and men,
00:00:56.22\00:00:58.99
the man Christ Jesus,
00:00:59.02\00:01:00.72
Who gave himself
a ransom for all."
00:01:00.76\00:01:05.23
Titus 2:13, 14,
reminds us the we're,
00:01:05.26\00:01:08.30
"Looking for that blessed hope,
00:01:08.33\00:01:10.27
and glorious
appearing of our great God
00:01:10.30\00:01:12.33
and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:01:12.37\00:01:13.77
who gave himself for us,
00:01:13.80\00:01:19.54
that he might redeem us
from every lawless deed,
00:01:19.57\00:01:22.71
and purify for himself
his own special people,
00:01:22.74\00:01:25.35
zealous for good works."
00:01:25.38\00:01:28.38
Christ gave
himself, he was the currency
00:01:28.42\00:01:35.02
that God spent to buy you back.
00:01:35.06\00:01:40.43
When the father gave
his only begotten son,
00:01:40.46\00:01:43.40
it was in eternal,
00:01:43.43\00:01:45.33
non-refundable ransom payment
00:01:45.37\00:01:50.34
that secured our safe return.
00:01:50.37\00:01:54.01
That language by the way
00:01:54.04\00:01:55.38
comparing the infinite
inestimable sacrifice of Christ
00:01:55.41\00:02:01.02
to a mere financial transaction
00:02:01.05\00:02:03.95
as through Christ were some
sort of bill in God's wallet
00:02:03.99\00:02:06.82
that he paid out.
00:02:06.86\00:02:10.53
It may sound crass,
00:02:10.56\00:02:13.03
maybe even disrespectful
but throughout the Bible
00:02:13.06\00:02:15.83
that's exactly the
language scripture applies
00:02:15.86\00:02:19.13
and describes the
plan of redemption.
00:02:19.17\00:02:22.20
This is seen especially
00:02:22.24\00:02:23.57
in the writings
of the Apostle Paul.
00:02:23.61\00:02:25.67
For example, in Acts 20:28,
00:02:25.71\00:02:29.68
the Apostle Paul describes,
00:02:29.71\00:02:31.55
"The church as that which God
purchased with his own blood."
00:02:31.58\00:02:38.39
In Ephesians 1:14,
00:02:38.42\00:02:41.39
he refers to believers as
"God's purchased possession."
00:02:41.42\00:02:47.86
1 Corinthians
6:19, 20 we know this,
00:02:47.90\00:02:52.37
"You are not your
own, you were what?
00:02:52.40\00:02:56.07
Brought at a price
00:02:56.10\00:02:58.81
therefore
glorify God in your body,
00:02:58.84\00:03:01.21
and in your
spirit, which are God's."
00:03:01.24\00:03:06.75
Of course we are,
we are God's twofold,
00:03:06.78\00:03:10.05
do you
understand this of course.
00:03:10.09\00:03:12.42
It was Christ who
made us in the first place,
00:03:12.45\00:03:14.89
we're his by, even if
we, he didn't die for us,
00:03:14.92\00:03:17.66
we would still
owe him our allegiance
00:03:17.69\00:03:19.36
because he has the
patent on our life.
00:03:19.39\00:03:22.40
He built this in you,
he has a trademark on you.
00:03:22.43\00:03:25.80
He built you in the first
place but then when you rebel,
00:03:25.83\00:03:28.30
he brought you back
with the price of himself.
00:03:28.34\00:03:33.68
Our creator is our redeemer,
00:03:33.71\00:03:37.08
you are not your own.
00:03:37.11\00:03:41.75
And now you put all
these phrases together
00:03:41.78\00:03:43.69
that you see in the
writings of the scripture
00:03:43.72\00:03:46.25
and you get this
very picture by giving,
00:03:46.29\00:03:49.36
"His only begotten Son,
God bought you at a price
00:03:49.39\00:03:54.43
he purchased
you as a possession,
00:03:54.46\00:03:57.10
therefore you are not your own."
00:03:57.13\00:04:01.50
Now why would the Bible
00:04:01.54\00:04:04.07
seemingly cheapen the
infinite sacrifice of Christ
00:04:04.11\00:04:08.44
by comparing it to of all things
00:04:08.48\00:04:10.65
a common financial transaction?
00:04:10.68\00:04:13.72
Well, the reason I can
see is that simply this
00:04:18.09\00:04:20.29
because that is the
world that we live in,
00:04:20.32\00:04:25.36
that's the
language that we speak,
00:04:25.39\00:04:27.40
that's a thing that we know.
00:04:27.43\00:04:31.23
Christ himself would
employ this type of teaching
00:04:31.27\00:04:33.57
all throughout his ministry.
00:04:33.60\00:04:35.47
He would take
something far beyond
00:04:35.50\00:04:37.41
our limited
comprehension and boil it down
00:04:37.44\00:04:39.97
and succinct it
down to just something
00:04:40.01\00:04:41.91
that we could grasp.
00:04:41.94\00:04:45.88
You would say, "The
kingdom of God is like a seed."
00:04:45.91\00:04:50.39
I don't know much
about the Kingdom of God
00:04:50.42\00:04:51.79
but I do know
about seeds, right.
00:04:51.82\00:04:54.42
I get that, to
fishermen it's like a net,
00:04:54.46\00:04:57.93
I understand a net,
00:04:57.96\00:05:00.50
to shepherd the
lost are like sheep.
00:05:00.53\00:05:03.67
In John Chapter 6 he would say,
00:05:03.70\00:05:05.03
"That he is the bread of life."
00:05:05.07\00:05:06.50
I understand bread,
00:05:06.53\00:05:07.87
I understand
having to eat daily,
00:05:07.90\00:05:09.24
you would take
these big gun zips
00:05:09.27\00:05:11.71
and boil them down to
language that we could relate to
00:05:11.74\00:05:16.68
and nothing
especially in the times
00:05:16.71\00:05:18.25
in which we live
today my friends.
00:05:18.28\00:05:20.88
Is as more commonly understood
00:05:20.92\00:05:24.39
something that every
single one of us can relate to
00:05:24.42\00:05:28.12
and appreciate is money.
00:05:28.16\00:05:32.76
You heard the
question and answer session,
00:05:32.79\00:05:35.70
has some questions about money.
00:05:35.73\00:05:38.40
We all understand
that, we all relate,
00:05:38.43\00:05:39.93
we all interact
with it on the daily,
00:05:39.97\00:05:42.27
every single day.
00:05:42.30\00:05:43.91
In our society
00:05:43.94\00:05:45.27
everything is a
commodity requiring money.
00:05:45.31\00:05:49.31
Raise your hand if you
sold your own outfit today.
00:05:49.34\00:05:54.92
Okay, I'm glad that
wasn't the appeal by the way,
00:05:54.95\00:05:57.99
right.
00:05:58.02\00:06:00.59
But we don't farm our
food, we buy our food.
00:06:00.62\00:06:04.16
We don't sew our
clothes, we buy our clothes.
00:06:04.19\00:06:06.09
We don't build a
house, we buy a house.
00:06:06.13\00:06:08.00
Everything in this life,
00:06:08.03\00:06:09.36
we're in a
consumer driven society,
00:06:09.40\00:06:12.00
does that make sense?
00:06:12.03\00:06:15.34
Almost imperceptibly,
we've come to understand
00:06:15.37\00:06:18.21
every aspect of
our life as requiring,
00:06:18.24\00:06:21.54
necessitating a
financial transaction.
00:06:21.58\00:06:25.11
If you're going to do a thing,
it's going to involve money,
00:06:25.15\00:06:27.82
that's just the bottom line.
00:06:27.85\00:06:31.02
So with that in mind,
00:06:31.05\00:06:33.25
let's imagine
something together.
00:06:33.29\00:06:36.39
Follow with me please.
00:06:36.42\00:06:38.73
Imagine that if in your wallet,
00:06:38.76\00:06:40.76
if in your purse, if
in your moneybag there,
00:06:40.80\00:06:43.23
besides the
normal 1's, 10's and 20's
00:06:43.26\00:06:47.67
something new is invented,
00:06:47.70\00:06:50.21
it looks exactly
like 1, 10 or 20,
00:06:50.24\00:06:51.97
but it was not, it
was a smart bill, okay.
00:06:52.01\00:06:58.35
The special new
thing, a smart bill,
00:06:58.38\00:07:01.92
though the same
size, color, weight
00:07:01.95\00:07:04.62
and texture of the
others, this bill was unique.
00:07:04.65\00:07:10.76
Where the usual
bills represent merely
00:07:10.79\00:07:12.53
a tiny fraction of
the overall finance,
00:07:12.56\00:07:14.46
you know, a dollar bill
00:07:14.50\00:07:15.83
probably isn't all that you have
00:07:15.86\00:07:17.20
but it represents a
fraction of what you have,
00:07:17.23\00:07:19.50
it's a piece of
it, it's a slice of it.
00:07:19.53\00:07:22.27
And any time you want
something for a dollar,
00:07:22.30\00:07:23.84
you reach out and give
a dollar worth of that,
00:07:23.87\00:07:25.67
you're giving a
little tiny fraction of your
00:07:25.71\00:07:27.81
overall financial
portfolio for that one thing.
00:07:27.84\00:07:31.35
I want a burrito will
cost me this much of me.
00:07:31.38\00:07:35.35
I want that extra
topping on my pizza
00:07:35.38\00:07:37.09
that's gonna be $1 of me.
00:07:37.12\00:07:39.35
Does that make sense?
00:07:39.39\00:07:41.16
So but this bill is different,
00:07:41.19\00:07:44.73
it's not just one
little tiny fraction
00:07:44.76\00:07:46.66
of your checking
account or something.
00:07:46.70\00:07:49.53
This bill is
synced with the cloud
00:07:49.56\00:07:52.93
to your financial institution.
00:07:52.97\00:07:55.60
This bill is
tapped in to the entirety
00:07:55.64\00:07:59.37
of your checking account,
00:07:59.41\00:08:01.51
so that if you pull
this bill out and spent it.
00:08:01.54\00:08:04.68
It would drain that
checking account completely.
00:08:04.71\00:08:09.15
However much you had in
there goes with that bill.
00:08:09.18\00:08:11.45
You had it right there
00:08:14.52\00:08:15.86
next to all the
other bills in your wallet
00:08:15.89\00:08:17.23
but this one was
the whole account.
00:08:17.26\00:08:21.26
Now imagine that in addition
to your checking account
00:08:21.30\00:08:25.47
that this bill is also
synced to every other account,
00:08:25.50\00:08:28.27
even a different
financial institutions
00:08:28.30\00:08:30.01
as long as it was in your name,
00:08:30.04\00:08:31.64
it was tied to those accounts.
00:08:31.67\00:08:34.61
Your savings accounts,
your retirement accounts,
00:08:34.64\00:08:38.78
all of the different
investments that you've made,
00:08:38.81\00:08:41.75
your entire liquid asset
00:08:41.78\00:08:45.15
was tied synced
to this smart bill
00:08:45.19\00:08:50.36
so that in spending it,
00:08:50.39\00:08:53.96
it would drain your
entire liquid asset.
00:08:54.00\00:08:58.40
Now obviously, this bill
would be of different value
00:08:58.43\00:09:00.74
depending on who held the bill.
00:09:00.77\00:09:02.10
For some people it would
effectively be a $10,000 bill.
00:09:02.14\00:09:06.04
For other people it
might be a $10 million bill.
00:09:06.07\00:09:10.41
For some of us sitting
here at GYC, like nope,
00:09:10.45\00:09:12.18
it's still just a $10 bill.
00:09:12.21\00:09:14.98
But you understand
00:09:15.02\00:09:16.35
proportionally to the individual
00:09:16.38\00:09:17.79
it would represent your entire
financial you know holdings,
00:09:17.82\00:09:21.82
right.
00:09:21.86\00:09:23.22
But that's not all,
00:09:23.26\00:09:24.59
this smart bill is
smarter than you expect.
00:09:24.63\00:09:28.16
Beyond these accounts,
these liquid assets of your,
00:09:28.20\00:09:32.93
this smart bill
would also be loaded
00:09:32.97\00:09:35.20
with the title to your car
and the deed to your house.
00:09:35.24\00:09:41.14
Your property and
everything that goes with it.
00:09:41.18\00:09:44.31
Your entire financial portfolio,
00:09:44.35\00:09:47.15
liquid or otherwise,
00:09:47.18\00:09:50.22
that when you give this bill,
00:09:50.25\00:09:51.59
you're giving the
right to your car,
00:09:51.62\00:09:52.95
you're giving the
deed to your house,
00:09:52.99\00:09:54.79
you're giving
your checking account,
00:09:54.82\00:09:56.22
your savings
account, your investment,
00:09:56.26\00:09:58.29
your retirement, all of
you is in this one bill.
00:09:58.33\00:10:03.16
And you had it right
there in your wallet,
00:10:03.20\00:10:04.53
you can spin it
any time you want it.
00:10:04.57\00:10:05.90
If you spent it of
course you'd be left with,
00:10:10.71\00:10:12.77
I mean you'd be
alive but that's about it,
00:10:12.81\00:10:15.71
you'd have the
shirt on your back.
00:10:15.74\00:10:19.61
What would it take
for you to spin that bill?
00:10:19.65\00:10:25.75
What item of
clothing would you say
00:10:25.79\00:10:27.56
that is worth it,
you know, I'm gonna...
00:10:27.59\00:10:31.69
What app could they sell,
00:10:31.73\00:10:34.16
feel like I want that so bad,
00:10:34.20\00:10:36.40
I'm going to spin.
00:10:36.43\00:10:37.80
Now obviously, the only thing
00:10:42.27\00:10:43.61
for which any
of us could imagine
00:10:43.64\00:10:44.97
cashing in that bill would be
in exchange for someone's life,
00:10:45.01\00:10:47.08
right.
00:10:47.11\00:10:49.74
And then probably
let's just be honest,
00:10:49.78\00:10:52.05
not just anybody's life.
00:10:52.08\00:10:55.88
You're looking
around like, I don't know.
00:10:55.92\00:10:58.52
Probably we would
most likely reserve
00:11:01.76\00:11:03.32
that level of sacrifice
00:11:03.36\00:11:05.16
for someone very, very close.
00:11:05.19\00:11:10.77
Someone very close,
00:11:10.80\00:11:12.13
someone we love
dearly like your,
00:11:12.17\00:11:13.67
your spouse or your child.
00:11:13.70\00:11:17.34
Only in the utmost extremity
in the worst case scenario,
00:11:17.37\00:11:21.84
do you ever take out
that bill and spend it.
00:11:21.88\00:11:26.68
Mrs. White would
write in the language
00:11:31.65\00:11:33.09
comparing the sacrifice
of Christ to that very thing,
00:11:33.12\00:11:35.32
notice this from the Bible Echo,
00:11:35.36\00:11:37.59
September 15, 1892.
00:11:37.63\00:11:40.86
She writes, "The
whole treasure of heaven
00:11:40.90\00:11:44.93
was poured out in one
gift to save fallen man."
00:11:44.97\00:11:49.70
She goes on to say,
00:11:49.74\00:11:51.07
"When we more fully
comprehend the magnitude
00:11:51.11\00:11:53.81
and meaning of
the great sacrifice
00:11:53.84\00:11:55.81
made by the Majesty of
heaven in dying for man,
00:11:55.84\00:11:59.31
the plan of salvation
will be glorified before us,
00:11:59.35\00:12:02.15
and the thought of
Calvary will awaken sacred
00:12:02.18\00:12:06.76
and living emotions
in the Christian's heart.
00:12:06.79\00:12:09.96
Praise to God and to the Lamb
00:12:09.99\00:12:11.83
will be in our
hearts and upon our lips;
00:12:11.86\00:12:13.63
for pride and
self-worship cannot flourish
00:12:13.66\00:12:17.23
in the heart that
keeps fresh in memory
00:12:17.27\00:12:19.33
the scenes of Calvary.
00:12:19.37\00:12:21.84
At what a cost has
salvation been provided!"
00:12:21.87\00:12:26.51
You know sometimes, I think we,
00:12:26.54\00:12:27.88
we use words
like it was infinite,
00:12:27.91\00:12:29.34
it was eternal,
it was an estimable
00:12:29.38\00:12:31.45
and we put it so
far out into the ether
00:12:31.48\00:12:34.98
that it doesn't have personal
ramification for us today.
00:12:35.02\00:12:39.65
I think there's a reason
Christ put these big concepts
00:12:39.69\00:12:42.46
into concrete terms
that we could engage with.
00:12:42.49\00:12:47.16
It cost Christ treasure.
00:12:47.20\00:12:52.93
It cost him.
00:12:52.97\00:12:55.47
Now in fact, let's go back
00:12:55.50\00:12:56.84
to our little
metaphor of the smart bill
00:12:56.87\00:12:58.47
and treasure that it represents.
00:12:58.51\00:13:02.61
Let's extend it just
a bit now, follow this.
00:13:02.64\00:13:05.85
Consider that there
was one other added penalty
00:13:05.88\00:13:10.49
attached to the
spending of the bill
00:13:10.52\00:13:12.15
that we haven't mentioned yet,
00:13:12.19\00:13:13.82
it's down in the fine print.
00:13:13.86\00:13:17.86
Always read the fine print.
00:13:17.89\00:13:22.13
Let's imagine that in the event
00:13:22.16\00:13:24.10
you were enforced
into such a circumstance
00:13:24.13\00:13:26.00
and whatever came
along a situation occurred
00:13:26.03\00:13:28.50
that you had to or
you felt you had to
00:13:28.54\00:13:30.54
and you decided
to spend that bill,
00:13:30.57\00:13:36.14
everything is
going for your life.
00:13:36.18\00:13:40.38
That after all of that
then the other shoe drops
00:13:40.42\00:13:43.12
because the
government would penalize you
00:13:43.15\00:13:46.79
for your reckless spending
00:13:46.82\00:13:49.36
and your endangerment to
yourself and your family,
00:13:49.39\00:13:53.86
so they would garnish
for the rest of your life
00:13:53.90\00:13:59.50
your income to such an extent...
00:13:59.53\00:14:03.81
By the way, it's
ostensibly for your goods,
00:14:03.84\00:14:06.11
you could never put
yourself in a position
00:14:06.14\00:14:07.91
to jump off a
cliff like that again,
00:14:07.94\00:14:09.44
they want to keep you
real down low and safe,
00:14:09.48\00:14:12.95
right.
00:14:12.98\00:14:14.32
It's for your
own good of course,
00:14:14.35\00:14:17.69
but you will
never be able to earn
00:14:17.72\00:14:20.96
back up to the
position you were.
00:14:20.99\00:14:25.23
But you know by
cashing that out.
00:14:25.26\00:14:26.59
You're not only
draining what is now,
00:14:26.63\00:14:28.13
but you're also
setting the course
00:14:28.16\00:14:30.20
for your financial future.
00:14:30.23\00:14:31.60
You will never
amass those savings again.
00:14:31.63\00:14:35.34
You will never be in
the position you once were.
00:14:35.37\00:14:41.14
For the rest of your life
00:14:41.18\00:14:42.51
your standard of living
would be permanently lowered
00:14:42.54\00:14:48.85
in the spending of that bill.
00:14:48.88\00:14:54.32
I sometimes fear that
00:14:54.36\00:14:56.83
I personally place
too low an estimate
00:14:56.86\00:15:00.73
on the sacrifice of Jesus.
00:15:00.76\00:15:04.30
At times I unconsciously
drift off into assuming
00:15:04.33\00:15:11.04
that the sacrifice of
Jesus was merely a single event
00:15:11.07\00:15:14.08
that really only
lasted a few days
00:15:14.11\00:15:15.84
or at worst a few years.
00:15:15.88\00:15:17.55
And it kind of blends in
00:15:20.62\00:15:21.95
with the rest of
the scripture testimony
00:15:21.98\00:15:23.49
of other great stories
00:15:23.52\00:15:24.85
and other interesting
experiences and it's,
00:15:24.89\00:15:28.09
you know, there's Abraham
00:15:28.12\00:15:29.92
and there was
Moses and Paul and Peter,
00:15:29.96\00:15:31.63
of course what
Jesus did you know,
00:15:31.66\00:15:33.06
we just kind of weave it
00:15:33.09\00:15:34.43
into the rest of
the codex of scripture.
00:15:34.46\00:15:39.03
The cross, it happened
then, it happened there,
00:15:39.07\00:15:42.10
it was about,
you know, two thirds,
00:15:42.14\00:15:43.47
three quarters the
way through the Bible,
00:15:43.51\00:15:44.84
that's when the cross was.
00:15:44.87\00:15:46.21
And while it is true that
Calvary was a one time event,
00:15:49.88\00:15:52.75
praise the Lord for that.
00:15:52.78\00:15:54.22
The reality is that the
consequences of Calvary,
00:15:54.25\00:15:59.25
the consequences
of Christ's sacrifice
00:15:59.29\00:16:03.32
are permanent and irrevocable.
00:16:03.36\00:16:07.46
When he would
spent for our redemption,
00:16:07.50\00:16:11.83
Christ suffered
an eternal decrease
00:16:11.87\00:16:14.77
in his standard of living.
00:16:14.80\00:16:16.60
Listen to this, in
Desire of Ages page 25,
00:16:21.08\00:16:23.14
we read these words,
00:16:23.18\00:16:24.61
"In taking our nature
00:16:24.65\00:16:27.82
the Savior has bound
himself to humanity by a tie
00:16:27.85\00:16:33.29
that is never to be broken.
00:16:33.32\00:16:35.02
Through the eternal
ages, he is linked with us.
00:16:38.86\00:16:45.27
God so loved the world
00:16:45.30\00:16:46.63
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:16:46.67\00:16:48.00
And she comments on this saying,
00:16:48.04\00:16:49.50
"He gave him not
only to bear our sins
00:16:49.54\00:16:54.34
and to die as our sacrifice,
00:16:54.38\00:16:57.11
he gave him to the fallen race."
00:16:57.15\00:17:02.65
Christ wasn't
loaned, he was given.
00:17:02.68\00:17:08.79
It wasn't
temporary, it was permanent.
00:17:08.82\00:17:10.66
She goes on to explain,
00:17:14.23\00:17:16.70
"To assure us of his
immutable counsel of peace,
00:17:16.73\00:17:20.40
God gave His only begotten Son
00:17:20.44\00:17:23.30
to become one of
the human family,
00:17:23.34\00:17:25.24
listen carefully,
00:17:25.27\00:17:26.61
for ever to
retain his human nature."
00:17:26.64\00:17:32.51
What he once was,
he will never be again.
00:17:32.55\00:17:37.32
The cross occurred in AD 31,
00:17:41.39\00:17:43.69
but the consequences
are still right now,
00:17:43.73\00:17:48.03
and they will be
throughout eternity.
00:17:48.06\00:17:53.40
Have you ever stepped up,
00:17:53.44\00:17:54.77
I mean, to wrestle with
the gravity of that concept.
00:17:54.80\00:17:59.01
The Savior is one of us.
00:17:59.04\00:18:04.38
Jesus wasn't
loaned, he was given.
00:18:04.41\00:18:07.05
Christ's very category of
being has been for ever altered.
00:18:07.08\00:18:12.62
He is a species unto himself.
00:18:12.65\00:18:17.53
There is no other
divine human like Jesus Christ.
00:18:17.56\00:18:21.76
In essence, he
will forever be alone
00:18:21.80\00:18:25.13
in his standing in the universe.
00:18:25.17\00:18:29.37
He's the only one of those.
00:18:29.40\00:18:33.24
And it wasn't just for a time,
it wasn't just for a project,
00:18:33.27\00:18:37.35
it's for eternity.
00:18:37.38\00:18:38.71
By the way, that
human body that he has
00:18:42.68\00:18:47.46
will also not
be without blemish.
00:18:47.49\00:18:49.46
He's the one
who keeps our scars.
00:18:52.79\00:18:57.03
Ever think about that,
00:18:57.07\00:18:58.40
when we get changed in a moment
00:18:58.43\00:18:59.77
in the twinkling of an eye,
00:18:59.80\00:19:01.14
we all get new
bodies, praise the Lord.
00:19:01.17\00:19:02.74
But Christ will
always be scarred.
00:19:06.98\00:19:11.28
The only innocent one of
us and he gets the scars.
00:19:14.58\00:19:19.05
Just like the standard
00:19:23.99\00:19:25.33
of living would
be forever lowered
00:19:25.36\00:19:26.70
if we were to spend
that fictional bill.
00:19:26.73\00:19:30.97
When God gave Jesus to humanity,
00:19:31.00\00:19:32.83
it was a nonrefundable purchase
with eternal consequences.
00:19:32.87\00:19:38.81
Now, one less time
let's return to our metaphor.
00:19:38.84\00:19:44.21
Let's go back
as we set the table
00:19:44.25\00:19:47.45
for the rest of this message.
00:19:47.48\00:19:50.79
Suppose now
00:19:50.82\00:19:52.69
that in the world will such
a smart bill actually existed.
00:19:52.72\00:19:59.49
That the unthinkable occurred
00:19:59.53\00:20:01.73
and someone that
you love very much.
00:20:01.76\00:20:03.90
One of those very
few you would be willing
00:20:03.93\00:20:06.00
to spend that bill for
00:20:06.03\00:20:10.04
was taken hostage,
00:20:10.07\00:20:12.24
he's taken captive,
00:20:12.27\00:20:13.94
tied up and
threatened with death.
00:20:13.98\00:20:16.64
And they contact you,
the captor contacts you
00:20:19.95\00:20:22.12
and makes the demanding
know what he doesn't want,
00:20:22.15\00:20:24.19
he doesn't want 1,
he doesn't want 10,
00:20:24.22\00:20:25.55
he doesn't want
20 what does he want?
00:20:25.59\00:20:27.72
The smart bill,
00:20:27.76\00:20:29.56
he wants to drain
every account you have.
00:20:29.59\00:20:32.99
If you want this one back,
00:20:33.03\00:20:34.36
I want your checking,
your savings, your retirement,
00:20:37.40\00:20:39.80
I want your
investments, I want your car,
00:20:39.83\00:20:41.84
I want your house,
I want your property,
00:20:41.87\00:20:43.84
I want your future
financials, I want it all.
00:20:43.87\00:20:46.81
But what are you gonna
do, they took your wife.
00:20:51.98\00:20:55.18
They took your son.
00:20:55.22\00:20:59.02
Would you give the bill?
00:20:59.05\00:21:01.99
Yeah.
00:21:02.02\00:21:04.59
Of course, you would,
you wouldn't think about it.
00:21:04.63\00:21:06.26
You name the time and
place, let's set this thing up.
00:21:06.29\00:21:08.36
Let's do it.
00:21:08.40\00:21:10.13
I just want my son back.
00:21:10.17\00:21:11.50
Can you imagine
the scene in your mind?
00:21:16.84\00:21:19.87
There's your loved one
00:21:19.91\00:21:22.54
bound in the hands of captors.
00:21:22.58\00:21:27.92
Their time and
place has been arranged
00:21:27.95\00:21:29.35
and you come in and
you take out your wallet,
00:21:29.38\00:21:32.42
and you have in
your hand that bill,
00:21:32.45\00:21:36.16
and you lay it down.
00:21:36.19\00:21:37.53
And as the bounds,
the ties are cut off
00:21:45.37\00:21:50.67
and your little
child, your precious wife,
00:21:50.71\00:21:52.61
your sweet spouse is released,
00:21:52.64\00:21:56.18
you stand there arms wide open,
00:21:56.21\00:21:58.71
not even thinking a
movement about what was lost
00:21:58.75\00:22:01.35
but you're thinking
what is now found, right.
00:22:01.38\00:22:04.85
And with tears in your
eyes and joy in your face,
00:22:04.89\00:22:07.02
your arms extended wide,
00:22:07.06\00:22:08.42
you're just welcoming them home.
00:22:08.46\00:22:09.96
And that child
00:22:15.03\00:22:18.50
doesn't come running back.
00:22:18.53\00:22:20.57
That's sweet wife
looks at you and says,
00:22:24.21\00:22:26.88
I mean, thank you
that's really, really nice.
00:22:26.91\00:22:31.91
But the thing is
00:22:31.95\00:22:35.32
I actually want
to stay with him.
00:22:35.35\00:22:37.02
He lets me wear jewelry.
00:22:41.12\00:22:42.96
You don't want to come home?
00:22:53.23\00:22:57.17
From that first
person perspective,
00:23:04.75\00:23:07.82
you wouldn't be thinking
about the price you paid,
00:23:07.85\00:23:10.35
the price would
pale in comparison
00:23:10.39\00:23:12.52
to the ingratitude shown.
00:23:12.55\00:23:15.42
In fact the...
00:23:15.46\00:23:17.03
not even the ingratitude
00:23:17.06\00:23:18.39
just you don't
want to be with me
00:23:18.43\00:23:23.40
nearly as much as I
wanted to be with you.
00:23:23.43\00:23:26.63
By the way from the perspective
00:23:30.81\00:23:32.17
of on looking
witnesses to the scene
00:23:32.21\00:23:34.11
what would they think
about that individual?
00:23:34.14\00:23:37.91
It wouldn't be
sadness, it would be outrage.
00:23:37.95\00:23:42.12
You ungrateful selfish,
00:23:42.15\00:23:47.06
right?
00:23:47.09\00:23:49.69
Do you know what
they gave for you?
00:23:49.72\00:23:53.76
He's going to be poor
for the rest of his life
00:23:53.80\00:23:56.36
and you're choosing
00:23:59.70\00:24:01.40
and it wouldn't
be about the jewelry.
00:24:01.44\00:24:03.61
You could put in anything else.
00:24:03.64\00:24:05.71
It's just the
mind bending fact that
00:24:05.74\00:24:08.11
there could be
anything big or small
00:24:08.14\00:24:11.15
that you wouldn't
sacrifice in return.
00:24:11.18\00:24:13.28
There was anything in the
face of such amazing grace,
00:24:16.89\00:24:22.69
such redemptive love,
self-sacrificing goodness
00:24:22.72\00:24:29.43
that would keep you there
instead of coming home here.
00:24:29.46\00:24:32.47
And I don't know
what it is for you,
00:24:45.08\00:24:46.41
it might be entertainment,
00:24:46.45\00:24:47.78
it might be foul language,
00:24:47.82\00:24:49.15
it might be you
know, pornography,
00:24:49.18\00:24:50.89
it might be
laziness, it might be smoking.
00:24:50.92\00:24:52.72
I mean, I don't
know what your thing is.
00:24:52.75\00:24:57.03
But could there be
anything that God asks of you
00:24:57.06\00:25:00.63
that you would
not be willing to do
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.26
in return for this sacrifice.
00:25:02.30\00:25:04.10
By the way
thinking about this is as
00:25:07.50\00:25:11.74
this perspective
completely takes the legs out
00:25:11.77\00:25:15.08
from under that
most petulant phrase,
00:25:15.11\00:25:16.98
salvation issue.
00:25:17.01\00:25:18.38
I can think of few
things more patently offensive
00:25:21.65\00:25:27.19
than attempting to
negotiate a compromise
00:25:27.22\00:25:31.59
with the one who
clearly loves you so much
00:25:31.63\00:25:34.26
that he gave himself for you.
00:25:34.30\00:25:37.17
Friends, the only
00:25:41.20\00:25:42.54
and I mean the
only genuine response
00:25:42.57\00:25:46.91
to the sacrifice
of Jesus is emulation.
00:25:46.94\00:25:50.75
And it's not just the
willingness to sacrifice,
00:25:57.29\00:25:59.52
it's the eagerness to sacrifice.
00:25:59.55\00:26:03.49
It's not just what I
will do or what I can do
00:26:03.53\00:26:06.76
or what I'm, okay,
00:26:06.80\00:26:08.13
and it's not
negotiating terms and saying,
00:26:08.16\00:26:09.80
"Lord, I want to do more.
00:26:09.83\00:26:12.43
How can I be more like you?
00:26:12.47\00:26:14.60
Not to repay, I can't
repay but I want to be like you.
00:26:14.64\00:26:19.07
You have demonstrated to me
00:26:19.11\00:26:20.98
something that I have
never seen in my life.
00:26:21.01\00:26:22.84
I want what you got,
I want to be like you.
00:26:22.88\00:26:27.35
Not a willingness to
give, an eagerness to give.
00:26:27.38\00:26:32.72
You see when we get the
tiniest glimpse over the horizon
00:26:32.75\00:26:35.69
and begin to fully comprehend
00:26:35.72\00:26:37.16
the depth of our
redemption price.
00:26:37.19\00:26:39.46
What it really cost
Christ to buy us back.
00:26:39.49\00:26:43.30
The mind of any
truly converted person
00:26:43.33\00:26:45.33
will immediately
begin to raise thinking
00:26:45.37\00:26:47.87
how can I
possibly reciprocate this.
00:26:47.90\00:26:53.71
What can I do to
demonstrate my love
00:26:53.74\00:26:57.71
for such a selfless savior?
00:26:57.75\00:27:00.92
The selflessness of
Christ should even eviscerate
00:27:00.95\00:27:05.79
any selfishness in us.
00:27:05.82\00:27:09.96
Are you with me?
00:27:09.99\00:27:11.79
The selflessness of
Christ should have eviscerate
00:27:11.83\00:27:14.60
any selfishness in us.
00:27:14.63\00:27:17.27
This is the
motive for obedience.
00:27:20.94\00:27:23.07
This is the motive
for self-sacrifice.
00:27:23.10\00:27:26.78
As the Bible
describes it, John 12:32-33,
00:27:26.81\00:27:31.81
Jesus himself
explains in these words,
00:27:31.85\00:27:35.55
and notice carefully
the language he uses,
00:27:35.58\00:27:37.02
he says, "And I, if I am lifted
up from the earth, will what?
00:27:37.05\00:27:41.69
Draw."
00:27:41.72\00:27:43.06
Did he say he will force.
00:27:43.09\00:27:44.69
No, he says, when I'm lifted up,
00:27:44.73\00:27:47.16
if you really look in my eyes,
00:27:47.20\00:27:49.33
if you really
understand, if you comprehend,
00:27:49.36\00:27:51.80
if you put the gravity
of it in your thinking.
00:27:51.83\00:27:55.40
When you look at that,
00:27:55.44\00:27:57.71
you will just
be drawn to Christ.
00:27:57.74\00:28:02.24
"And I, if I am
lifted up from the earth,
00:28:02.28\00:28:03.91
will draw all peoples to myself.
00:28:03.95\00:28:06.58
This he said, signifying
the death which he would die."
00:28:06.61\00:28:09.68
When you look at the death
of Christ and what it costs,
00:28:09.72\00:28:13.12
you're drawn to him.
00:28:13.15\00:28:14.96
Philippians Chapter 2,
00:28:14.99\00:28:16.32
go to the right
in your Bibles please
00:28:16.36\00:28:17.69
Philippians Chapter 2.
00:28:17.73\00:28:20.53
Again the Apostle Paul
00:28:20.56\00:28:24.43
speaking of the
sacrifice of Christ
00:28:24.47\00:28:25.90
in our reaction to it,
00:28:25.93\00:28:27.44
our response to
Christ sacrifice.
00:28:27.47\00:28:29.87
Philippians Chapter 2,
starting with a verse 5 says,
00:28:29.90\00:28:32.57
"Let this mind be in you,
00:28:32.61\00:28:35.01
which was also in Christ Jesus:"
00:28:35.04\00:28:36.91
Pause for a moment.
00:28:36.95\00:28:38.61
It does not say
conjure up or force, or make,
00:28:38.65\00:28:42.32
or build or establish,
00:28:42.35\00:28:44.29
it doesn't say
that, it says let.
00:28:44.32\00:28:46.96
The implication is when you look
00:28:46.99\00:28:48.32
at the selflessness of Christ,
00:28:48.36\00:28:50.96
you would have to
resist not becoming like him.
00:28:50.99\00:28:56.43
Just let it happen.
00:28:56.46\00:28:59.03
"Let this mind be in you,
00:28:59.07\00:29:00.84
which was also in Christ Jesus."
00:29:00.87\00:29:02.87
And explains what that mind is
00:29:02.90\00:29:04.81
"Who, being in the form of God,
00:29:04.84\00:29:08.94
did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God:
00:29:08.98\00:29:11.45
But made himself of what?
00:29:11.48\00:29:13.92
No reputation."
00:29:13.95\00:29:15.28
Sometimes in some people's lives
00:29:19.02\00:29:20.69
there's a temptation to
make yourself of reputation.
00:29:20.72\00:29:25.33
Christ didn't do
that and Paul says,
00:29:25.36\00:29:27.50
"Let that mind be in you."
00:29:27.53\00:29:29.73
No reputation, "taking
the form of a bond servant,
00:29:29.76\00:29:33.03
and coming in
the likeness of men:
00:29:33.07\00:29:36.97
And being found in
appearance as a man,"
00:29:37.01\00:29:39.54
you know would be bad enough
00:29:39.57\00:29:40.91
if all he did
was become a human.
00:29:40.94\00:29:43.51
But he went down even lower
00:29:43.55\00:29:45.81
"Found in appearance as a man,
00:29:45.85\00:29:47.18
he humbled himself,
00:29:47.22\00:29:48.55
and became obedient
to the point of death,"
00:29:48.58\00:29:51.55
even the death on the cross.
00:29:51.59\00:29:54.62
Again as you see the sacrifice,
the selflessness of Jesus,
00:29:54.66\00:29:58.23
Paul says, "You just have
to let that mind to be in you."
00:29:58.26\00:30:02.13
That thoughtful
hour each day will start
00:30:02.16\00:30:04.37
to make you have
that mind of Christ.
00:30:04.40\00:30:07.90
You won't have to conjure,
you won't have to force it,
00:30:07.94\00:30:10.04
it just becomes part of you.
00:30:10.07\00:30:13.17
And Paul says, "Let it happen.
00:30:13.21\00:30:15.08
Let that mind be in you."
00:30:15.11\00:30:18.45
2 Corinthians
returning to this theme
00:30:18.48\00:30:20.52
of viewing Christ in the
change that comes with it.
00:30:20.55\00:30:23.02
2 Corinthians Chapter 3.
00:30:23.05\00:30:27.06
Another very familiar passage
00:30:27.09\00:30:28.42
but think about it
in these lines now,
00:30:28.46\00:30:30.36
2 Corinthians 3:18,
00:30:30.39\00:30:32.96
"But we all, with unveiled
face be holding as in a mirror
00:30:32.99\00:30:37.70
the glory of the Lord,
00:30:37.73\00:30:39.73
are being
transformed into the same image
00:30:39.77\00:30:44.44
from glory to glory,
00:30:44.47\00:30:46.14
just as by the
spirit of the Lord."
00:30:46.17\00:30:48.54
The only genuine response
00:30:48.58\00:30:51.31
to the sacrifice of
Christ is emulation.
00:30:51.35\00:30:55.08
I want to be, I'm going to be,
00:30:55.12\00:30:57.69
Lord, make me like you.
00:30:57.72\00:31:00.76
Desire of Ages, page 439,
00:31:04.69\00:31:08.83
"Let the repenting sinner
00:31:08.86\00:31:10.50
fix his eyes
upon the Lamb of God
00:31:10.53\00:31:12.33
which takes away
the sin of the world
00:31:12.37\00:31:14.14
and by beholding he
becomes what, changed.
00:31:14.17\00:31:19.21
She explains
gratitude, springs up.
00:31:19.24\00:31:24.58
Has that happened
in your experience,
00:31:24.61\00:31:26.08
that gratitude you
springs out of you.
00:31:26.11\00:31:28.22
Gratitude springs up,
the stony heart is broken,
00:31:28.25\00:31:32.25
a tide of love
sweeps into the soul,
00:31:32.29\00:31:35.39
looking unto Jesus we shall
be ashamed of our coldness,
00:31:35.42\00:31:41.10
our lethargy, our self-seeking.
00:31:41.13\00:31:46.33
We shall be willing
to be anything or nothing
00:31:46.37\00:31:51.57
so that we may do heart
service for the master."
00:31:51.61\00:31:55.51
Everything but we
always think about,
00:31:55.54\00:31:56.88
Lord make me
this, what about Lord,
00:31:56.91\00:31:58.85
get me out to make, make me less
00:31:58.88\00:32:00.58
if that's what you need.
00:32:00.62\00:32:04.49
Make me anything you
need or nothing at all.
00:32:04.52\00:32:07.26
If you want me to
sit here and be quiet,
00:32:07.29\00:32:09.26
I will do it for you.
00:32:09.29\00:32:13.13
If my role is to
be something small,
00:32:13.16\00:32:15.43
when I was thinking big
00:32:15.46\00:32:16.90
Lord, your will
be done not mine.
00:32:16.93\00:32:19.33
But you don't negotiate terms,
00:32:24.34\00:32:25.87
you don't put self-interest,
00:32:25.91\00:32:27.24
you say, "Lord, you did that,
00:32:27.28\00:32:28.61
I am yours 100 percent,
you name it, I'll do it."
00:32:28.64\00:32:30.95
We shall be willing to
be anything or nothing,
00:32:36.82\00:32:38.69
so we may do heart
service for the Master.
00:32:38.72\00:32:40.56
We shall rejoice to
bear the cross after Jesus
00:32:40.59\00:32:43.66
to endure a trial, shame
00:32:43.69\00:32:45.69
or persecution
for his dear sake.
00:32:45.73\00:32:49.10
By the way would
you be proud of that one
00:32:49.13\00:32:50.80
who paid for you?
00:32:50.83\00:32:53.13
Absolutely.
00:32:53.17\00:32:54.80
If someone started
to talk bad about them,
00:32:54.84\00:32:56.57
would you come to their defense,
00:32:56.60\00:32:59.37
making little sly comments,
00:32:59.41\00:33:02.01
putting down the
teachings that he taught.
00:33:02.04\00:33:04.21
Would you say something
00:33:04.25\00:33:06.82
or you just kind of let it go?
00:33:06.85\00:33:11.19
I'm an advocate
for Jesus Christ,
00:33:11.22\00:33:12.95
he brought me back.
00:33:12.99\00:33:16.49
Review and Herald, May 15, 1888,
00:33:16.52\00:33:20.00
"When Christ is looked
to as the great exemplar,
00:33:20.03\00:33:23.16
then we will seek
to catch his spirit
00:33:23.20\00:33:25.70
and imitate his example.
00:33:25.73\00:33:28.74
As we see His love,
His humiliation for us,
00:33:28.77\00:33:31.91
the same spirit of
self-denial and sacrifice
00:33:31.94\00:33:35.54
for other's good will
be kindled in our hearts."
00:33:35.58\00:33:40.62
By the way can we live,
00:33:40.65\00:33:42.55
can we die for Christ in return?
00:33:42.58\00:33:44.25
No,
00:33:44.29\00:33:47.16
but we realize
there are other people
00:33:47.19\00:33:48.92
that need this message.
00:33:48.96\00:33:50.46
I'm going to go
get some more for you,
00:33:50.49\00:33:52.26
"By beholding Jesus
by the eye of faith,
00:33:56.26\00:33:59.37
we shall be
changed into the same image
00:33:59.40\00:34:01.40
from glory to glory,
00:34:01.44\00:34:02.77
even as by the
spirit of the Lord."
00:34:02.80\00:34:04.51
Here's my point at the cross,
00:34:04.54\00:34:07.81
obedience and self-sacrifice
00:34:07.84\00:34:10.75
have nothing to do with legalism
00:34:10.78\00:34:13.62
and everything
to do with loyalty.
00:34:13.65\00:34:16.22
Legalism isn't
even on the radar screen
00:34:19.25\00:34:21.72
and we give all to Christ
00:34:21.76\00:34:23.53
because we love him
who gave himself for me.
00:34:23.56\00:34:27.66
Again, the only genuine,
00:34:32.07\00:34:33.40
indeed the only
logical, think about this.
00:34:33.44\00:34:35.24
The only logical response
00:34:35.27\00:34:36.77
to Christ
sacrifice is emulation,
00:34:36.81\00:34:38.61
to sacrifice like he did.
00:34:38.64\00:34:40.54
Romans Chapter 12,
notice the language here
00:34:40.58\00:34:43.01
Romans Chapter 12,
00:34:43.04\00:34:44.91
when Paul gives
the call to sacrifice
00:34:44.95\00:34:46.85
and notice how he says it.
00:34:46.88\00:34:50.39
He says, I beseech you,
00:34:50.42\00:34:52.75
beseech means
beg, to urge, to plead.
00:34:52.79\00:34:58.36
I implore you, I beseech you
00:34:58.39\00:35:00.26
therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
00:35:00.30\00:35:03.06
that you present your bodies
00:35:03.10\00:35:04.93
a what kind of
sacrifice, living sacrifice.
00:35:04.97\00:35:07.70
Has Christ called you to die?
00:35:07.74\00:35:09.17
No, he's called you to what?
00:35:09.20\00:35:10.91
Live.
00:35:10.94\00:35:12.27
It is far easier
00:35:15.11\00:35:16.78
sometimes to think
about a big glorious way
00:35:16.81\00:35:19.51
that I can go out in
a blaze going to know.
00:35:19.55\00:35:21.02
What happens when
he wants you to live
00:35:21.05\00:35:22.38
that small
consistent daily life.
00:35:22.42\00:35:26.52
He says, "I'm begging you."
00:35:26.55\00:35:28.22
By the mercies of
God, the mercy shown to you
00:35:28.26\00:35:30.66
that in return you would
be a living sacrifice for him.
00:35:30.69\00:35:34.80
And notice he
says, with your body,
00:35:34.83\00:35:36.16
not just a mental
or intellectual assent
00:35:36.20\00:35:39.07
or an agreement on your part.
00:35:39.10\00:35:40.70
No, no, it's not, I don't
want you to just to get it.
00:35:40.74\00:35:42.67
I want you to do it.
00:35:42.70\00:35:46.14
Can we talk like people today?
00:35:46.17\00:35:49.04
There's plenty of getting it.
00:35:49.08\00:35:51.58
What we need is some doing it.
00:35:51.61\00:35:52.98
He says, "Give your
body, give your self,
00:35:56.38\00:35:59.29
give your toil,
give your creativity,
00:35:59.32\00:36:01.16
give your energy, and yes,
00:36:01.19\00:36:02.52
young people give your money.
00:36:02.56\00:36:04.19
We're gonna come
back to that in a minute.
00:36:09.50\00:36:10.83
"A living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God,
00:36:15.77\00:36:19.57
which is your,
what does he call it?
00:36:19.61\00:36:21.71
Reasonable service."
00:36:21.74\00:36:24.08
What does reason mean?
00:36:24.11\00:36:26.38
It makes sense, it's logical,
00:36:26.41\00:36:28.55
it's rational, it's coherent,
00:36:28.58\00:36:31.42
it's the obvious next step.
00:36:31.45\00:36:35.26
How do I get back?
00:36:35.29\00:36:36.62
You give whatever you've got.
00:36:36.66\00:36:38.56
You just start giving, a
living sacrifice for him.
00:36:38.59\00:36:45.13
Luke Chapter 14, let's go
back to the life of Christ.
00:36:45.17\00:36:47.30
Luke Chapter 14.
00:36:47.34\00:36:48.67
Starting with verse 25,
00:36:53.04\00:36:54.38
"Now a great
multitude went with him..."
00:37:01.18\00:37:04.45
Jesus had crowds
go with him, right?
00:37:04.49\00:37:05.99
And he turned, and said to them.
00:37:09.76\00:37:12.86
He's basically going to
build Gideon's army here.
00:37:12.89\00:37:17.50
"If anyone comes to me,"
00:37:17.53\00:37:19.93
and he's
literally talking to people
00:37:19.97\00:37:21.30
that are physically
following him around.
00:37:21.34\00:37:24.97
"If any of you
are coming to me,"
00:37:25.01\00:37:26.34
which they all
ostensibly work coming to him.
00:37:26.37\00:37:32.41
What does he say to them,
00:37:32.45\00:37:33.78
"If anyone comes to me,
00:37:33.82\00:37:35.85
and does not hate
his father, and mother,
00:37:35.88\00:37:38.55
wife, and children,
brothers, and sisters,
00:37:38.59\00:37:40.46
yes, and his own life also,
00:37:40.49\00:37:41.89
he cannot be my disciple."
00:37:41.92\00:37:43.26
That is...
00:37:46.63\00:37:50.23
You've never
heard an appeal at GYC
00:37:50.27\00:37:51.83
it's hard and raw as you think
00:37:51.87\00:37:53.20
GYC is to go home
and hate your mom,
00:37:53.23\00:37:57.31
right.
00:37:57.34\00:37:58.67
Now obviously he's not saying
have contempt for your mother,
00:37:58.71\00:38:00.41
he's not saying
dishonor your parents.
00:38:00.44\00:38:01.78
He's the one who wrote
00:38:01.81\00:38:03.14
honor thy father
and thy mother, right?
00:38:03.18\00:38:04.71
What's his point?
00:38:04.75\00:38:06.88
Is the seek ye first,
00:38:06.92\00:38:08.35
I got to be your
number one priority.
00:38:08.38\00:38:09.88
I've got to be before those
other things good as they are.
00:38:09.92\00:38:14.56
Yes, we should give
up bad things for Christ,
00:38:14.59\00:38:16.56
but we should reprioritize
00:38:16.59\00:38:17.93
even the good
things for Jesus Christ.
00:38:17.96\00:38:22.70
It's great, mother,
sister, wives, that's great.
00:38:22.73\00:38:25.27
Put me first, then he says,
00:38:25.30\00:38:28.74
"And whoever does
not bear his cross..."
00:38:28.77\00:38:32.71
Did Christ give up
his father for you?
00:38:32.74\00:38:39.28
Would you be willing
to give it up for him,
00:38:39.31\00:38:43.95
'cause you don't understand
the depth of the sacrifice yet?
00:38:43.99\00:38:48.02
When you see
Calvary, you'll get it, okay.
00:38:48.06\00:38:51.56
But right now, I'm
just telling you in theory,
00:38:51.59\00:38:53.19
someday you're going
to see it in practice
00:38:53.23\00:38:54.56
but you're going to have
to change your priorities.
00:38:54.60\00:38:57.37
Cannot be my disciple you
know Christ tower illustration.
00:39:00.40\00:39:06.27
Watch this what he says here.
00:39:06.31\00:39:07.64
He makes it so practical,
00:39:07.68\00:39:10.05
for he says, in verse 28
00:39:10.08\00:39:11.41
"Which of you,
intending to build a tower,
00:39:11.45\00:39:12.78
does not sit down
first, and count the cost."
00:39:12.81\00:39:16.72
Many people blithely assume,
00:39:16.75\00:39:18.09
oh, yeah, I'm
gonna follow Jesus around
00:39:18.12\00:39:19.45
and do this and that,
00:39:19.49\00:39:20.82
even here maybe at GYC,
00:39:20.86\00:39:22.19
maybe in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:39:22.22\00:39:23.56
maybe in your own life.
00:39:23.59\00:39:24.93
It's easy to say,
I'm gonna follow Christ,
00:39:24.96\00:39:26.29
but you don't
actually count up the cost
00:39:26.33\00:39:27.66
what's going to be involved.
00:39:27.70\00:39:30.63
We've got a whole
lot of declaration,
00:39:30.67\00:39:32.50
what we need is some
demonstration, right.
00:39:32.53\00:39:36.91
For which of you,
intending to build a tower,
00:39:36.94\00:39:38.87
does not sit down
first, and count the cost,
00:39:38.91\00:39:40.74
whether he has
enough to finish it?
00:39:40.78\00:39:43.65
"That's after he
has laid the foundation,
00:39:43.68\00:39:45.31
is not able to finish all
who see it begin to mock him,
00:39:45.35\00:39:48.25
saying, 'This
man begin to build,
00:39:48.28\00:39:50.29
and was not able to finish."
00:39:50.32\00:39:54.26
It reminds me of my
oldest son Henry, true story.
00:39:54.29\00:39:57.76
You know, the
term General Conference
00:39:57.79\00:40:01.63
can actually mean a
lot of different things.
00:40:01.66\00:40:05.03
It's a reference to the
total geographic territory
00:40:05.07\00:40:07.20
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:40:07.24\00:40:08.57
the world field if you will,
00:40:08.60\00:40:09.94
we refer to that as the
General Conference, right.
00:40:09.97\00:40:12.57
It can also mean the building
00:40:12.61\00:40:13.94
where the Seventh-day Adventist
World Church headquarters,
00:40:13.98\00:40:15.68
or word church is headquartered,
00:40:15.71\00:40:17.75
the building
itself at the GC office,
00:40:17.78\00:40:19.98
you know the GC,
General Conference.
00:40:20.02\00:40:22.55
Then again it can also be
used to refer to the individuals
00:40:22.58\00:40:25.22
in departments leading the work
00:40:25.25\00:40:26.59
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:40:26.62\00:40:27.96
and we think we
speak of something
00:40:27.99\00:40:29.46
being done by the
General Conference.
00:40:29.49\00:40:31.99
We mean talking
about the people,
00:40:32.03\00:40:33.36
the departments, the leadership,
00:40:33.40\00:40:34.73
that's what we're
talking about, right?
00:40:34.76\00:40:36.10
And finally, it
can also, mean that
00:40:36.13\00:40:37.67
when San Antonio
Assembly of Delegates
00:40:37.70\00:40:39.53
referred to as the
General Conference.
00:40:39.57\00:40:42.30
Which is of course incidentally
coming up later this year.
00:40:42.34\00:40:45.71
So you use that term in
a lot of different ways,
00:40:45.74\00:40:48.28
and around our house we
apparently say it enough
00:40:48.31\00:40:51.05
in different ways that
my four year old son Henry
00:40:51.08\00:40:53.85
has made it part
of his vocabulary,
00:40:53.88\00:40:55.65
the General Conference.
00:40:55.68\00:40:59.59
Now in his mind
he's not thinking
00:40:59.62\00:41:01.52
of any of those forth though.
00:41:01.56\00:41:02.89
I don't, I honestly don't know
00:41:02.92\00:41:04.26
what's in his
four year old brain.
00:41:04.29\00:41:05.89
But I know it
comes out every day,
00:41:05.93\00:41:08.06
I'm not making this,
almost every single day
00:41:08.10\00:41:10.33
for the last at
least six, seven months.
00:41:10.37\00:41:14.24
He has said, "I
need to go outside
00:41:14.27\00:41:16.71
and work on the GC Conference."
00:41:16.74\00:41:19.07
And you ask what do
you, what do you mean,
00:41:24.65\00:41:26.95
work on the GC Con.
00:41:26.98\00:41:28.32
And I'll just sit down with him.
00:41:28.35\00:41:29.68
"Henry, that's great
but tell me what that...
00:41:29.72\00:41:32.89
Really, I really
want to hear about this.
00:41:32.92\00:41:34.66
What, what are you."
00:41:34.69\00:41:38.73
And he'll just
wide eyed tell you,
00:41:38.76\00:41:41.56
"Oh, it's in some days
it's a big mammoth building,
00:41:41.60\00:41:44.40
it's a big institution,
I'm going to build this
00:41:44.43\00:41:45.77
and it's gonna have up here,
it's bigger than the house,
00:41:45.80\00:41:47.34
it will be taller
and this is going to go.
00:41:47.37\00:41:48.70
Some days it's a
campus of buildings,
00:41:48.74\00:41:50.27
it's going to be
this thing over here,
00:41:50.31\00:41:51.64
and over there is
going to be the house
00:41:51.67\00:41:53.01
and here's where nanny
and pop are going to be here
00:41:53.04\00:41:54.38
and here's your granny and
granddaddy will be beginning."
00:41:54.41\00:41:55.74
And here's...
00:41:55.78\00:41:57.31
I don't know what that
is, he's thinking up a campus,
00:41:57.35\00:41:59.15
I don't know.
00:41:59.18\00:42:01.35
Some days it's a castle
with a gate you know in a moat.
00:42:01.38\00:42:06.82
But every day he wants to
keep going and working on it
00:42:06.86\00:42:10.39
and to hear him describe it.
00:42:10.43\00:42:11.96
You would think he's building
this massive entity, right?
00:42:11.99\00:42:16.97
But when you go outside
and you take a look at it,
00:42:17.00\00:42:18.73
you know, what it is.
00:42:18.77\00:42:21.74
It's a little hole in the ground
00:42:21.77\00:42:24.44
filled with rainwater, his toys,
00:42:24.47\00:42:27.51
and a lot of my tools.
00:42:27.54\00:42:31.85
And he's proud as punch,
look at the G.C Conference.
00:42:31.88\00:42:37.52
Now, I can excuse him
for not counting the cost
00:42:37.55\00:42:39.75
to finish the
building his tower right,
00:42:39.79\00:42:41.62
he is four.
00:42:41.66\00:42:43.26
What's your excuse?
00:42:43.29\00:42:45.66
I'm going to do this for G.
00:42:45.69\00:42:49.36
And what we got at
the end of the day?
00:42:49.40\00:42:51.63
Holes in the
ground with toys and dirt.
00:42:51.67\00:42:55.70
Crisis, if you
want to come after me,
00:42:55.74\00:42:57.51
sit down and think first.
00:42:57.54\00:43:02.68
What's it going to cost?
00:43:02.71\00:43:04.05
What does it mean
in dollars and cents?
00:43:04.08\00:43:05.41
What does it mean in time?
00:43:05.45\00:43:06.78
What does it mean
in energy and creative?
00:43:06.82\00:43:08.22
What does it
look like in the life?
00:43:08.25\00:43:12.52
I don't want to leave GYC
00:43:12.55\00:43:13.89
with this soaring theme
of at the cross, Jesus is,
00:43:13.92\00:43:15.82
what does it mean
for me when I go home?
00:43:15.86\00:43:17.83
I'm reminded of Pastor Ramdin's
00:43:22.80\00:43:24.53
Friday morning lamentation
00:43:24.57\00:43:25.90
how at one GYC
appealed literally
00:43:25.93\00:43:28.40
hundreds of young
people came forward.
00:43:28.44\00:43:30.11
I'm going to go to
give a portion of my life
00:43:30.14\00:43:32.34
to mission service
two years later one.
00:43:32.37\00:43:34.64
This is my tenth GYC.
00:43:39.28\00:43:40.62
I've tried to
eliminate the phrase,
00:43:45.79\00:43:47.12
I'm going to be
honest with you right now
00:43:47.16\00:43:48.49
because it implies
that I've been dishonest
00:43:48.52\00:43:49.86
up until this point but,
00:43:49.89\00:43:51.23
I'll just say
this, in this point
00:43:54.83\00:43:56.40
in my life and
ministry not just here GYC,
00:43:56.43\00:43:58.17
but at all places that I go.
00:43:58.20\00:44:01.20
Appeals with no follow up
00:44:01.24\00:44:02.77
and accountability are
very unappealing to me.
00:44:02.80\00:44:05.64
I am more and more
convicted that if appeal is made
00:44:09.31\00:44:11.91
it must involve
several critical things.
00:44:11.95\00:44:15.08
First of all it must
be a commitment beyond
00:44:15.12\00:44:16.89
what you're
already required to do
00:44:16.92\00:44:18.55
or what would be
inevitable to do anyway.
00:44:18.59\00:44:22.16
And I think if
you're the one that like it,
00:44:22.19\00:44:23.53
if you're with me
today, let's all stand,
00:44:23.56\00:44:24.89
well, you're going to
stand to leave anyway,
00:44:24.93\00:44:27.03
right.
00:44:27.06\00:44:29.56
Now I've made that,
00:44:29.60\00:44:30.93
I'm not throwing
anybody that I've done this.
00:44:30.97\00:44:32.80
This is rebuke to
me time, I'm just,
00:44:32.83\00:44:34.54
you're just
here listening to it.
00:44:34.57\00:44:36.94
Okay.
00:44:36.97\00:44:39.61
For this reason today,
00:44:39.64\00:44:40.98
I'm not making an appeal
00:44:41.01\00:44:42.34
for you to
return a faithful tithe
00:44:42.38\00:44:43.71
and regular
offerings you know why?
00:44:43.75\00:44:45.65
'Cause that stuff you
should be doing anyway.
00:44:45.68\00:44:47.58
Are we still, friends? Yes.
00:44:53.19\00:44:55.12
Are we people today?
00:44:55.16\00:44:56.49
Yes.
00:44:56.52\00:44:59.36
Return a
faithful tithe, come on.
00:44:59.39\00:45:01.06
By the way, God
expects you to do that too.
00:45:06.97\00:45:08.37
That's why he calls
not doing it robbery.
00:45:08.40\00:45:10.51
It's his stuff not yours.
00:45:10.54\00:45:13.78
And what he leaves you with,
00:45:13.81\00:45:15.14
that's what I'm
talking about today.
00:45:15.18\00:45:16.51
The other stuff
00:45:16.54\00:45:17.88
beyond the tithes and
offerings you're already doing.
00:45:17.91\00:45:21.32
Also it must be
movement from conviction
00:45:21.35\00:45:25.59
and not from coercion.
00:45:25.62\00:45:28.99
I want the motive to be clear.
00:45:29.02\00:45:30.36
The reason that you
sacrifice anything in your life
00:45:30.39\00:45:32.86
is not because
everybody else is doing.
00:45:32.89\00:45:34.23
It's not because
the preacher told you to
00:45:34.26\00:45:36.06
or not because
there's going to a threat
00:45:36.10\00:45:37.43
if you don't or an
incentive on the other
00:45:37.47\00:45:38.80
is because you look at
Jesus and you love him and say,
00:45:38.83\00:45:40.94
Lord, I want to be like you.
00:45:40.97\00:45:43.81
I just want to.
00:45:43.84\00:45:47.71
And must also be have
clear and tangible results,
00:45:47.74\00:45:50.75
clear objective
with tangible results.
00:45:50.78\00:45:54.25
You know I made a
call several years back
00:45:54.28\00:45:56.08
at GYC in Huston.
00:45:56.12\00:45:57.69
But there's really no
way to know for me personally
00:46:02.76\00:46:04.86
if anyone ever
actually followed up on that
00:46:04.89\00:46:06.39
and then a few
people will come and tell me
00:46:06.43\00:46:07.76
because I saw the
thing and now I've done this
00:46:07.80\00:46:09.20
and I praise the Lord for that,
maybe every single one did,
00:46:09.23\00:46:11.50
I don't know.
00:46:11.53\00:46:13.27
But that's my point, I
don't know what happened.
00:46:13.30\00:46:15.40
It just kind of
went out into the ether,
00:46:15.44\00:46:16.77
went out into the
etherium, it's just gone, right.
00:46:16.81\00:46:19.94
I'm not going to do that again.
00:46:19.97\00:46:21.31
By the way in
preparation for this message,
00:46:27.08\00:46:28.52
I researched the writings
of the Spirit of Prophecy
00:46:28.55\00:46:30.29
looking for key
words like cross,
00:46:30.32\00:46:31.85
self-sacrifice, self-denial,
00:46:31.89\00:46:33.36
and I was amazed at how clearly,
00:46:33.39\00:46:35.46
how practically
and how repeatedly
00:46:35.49\00:46:38.89
money was mentioned.
00:46:38.93\00:46:42.40
Notice that you shouldn't
00:46:42.43\00:46:43.77
not that you
shouldn't sacrifice your time,
00:46:43.80\00:46:45.47
energy and
creativity, do that anyway.
00:46:45.50\00:46:50.01
But above and beyond,
there is a clarion call
00:46:50.04\00:46:54.51
through God's
maidservant for people
00:46:54.54\00:46:56.38
and in many cases
specifically young people
00:46:56.41\00:46:59.78
to sacrificially
contribute financial means
00:46:59.81\00:47:02.92
to the work of soul
winning and foreign missions.
00:47:02.95\00:47:07.09
Let me read you a few,
00:47:07.12\00:47:09.02
General Conference
bulletin, April 1, 1899.
00:47:09.06\00:47:13.80
She says, "I have
a request to make,
00:47:13.83\00:47:16.97
let all that love the
Lord who gave his life for them
00:47:17.00\00:47:21.70
make returns to Him who
has bought them with a price.
00:47:21.74\00:47:26.68
Through your own
self-denial and self-sacrifice
00:47:26.71\00:47:29.74
return to God your offerings
00:47:29.78\00:47:31.55
to be used in opening new fields
00:47:31.58\00:47:33.95
and planting the
standard of truth
00:47:33.98\00:47:35.52
in places that
have never been worked."
00:47:35.55\00:47:38.95
And she then
explains how, she says,
00:47:38.99\00:47:40.72
"Economize and your expenditure
of means upon yourself."
00:47:40.76\00:47:46.53
And I love this,
00:47:46.56\00:47:47.90
"The first step of self-denial
is generally the most difficult
00:47:47.93\00:47:51.50
but begin without delay.
00:47:51.53\00:47:54.84
From the light given me of God,
00:47:54.87\00:47:56.20
I make this call
to young and old,
00:47:56.24\00:47:58.84
men and women and children.
00:47:58.87\00:48:01.68
God calls upon
you to do your best.
00:48:01.71\00:48:04.95
Practice self-denial in
order to bring the truth
00:48:04.98\00:48:07.38
before thousands
who have never heard it.
00:48:07.42\00:48:10.62
The missionary spirit needs
to be revived in our churches.
00:48:10.65\00:48:16.73
We want you to show your
active zeal in doing something,
00:48:16.76\00:48:20.43
and doing it now.
00:48:20.46\00:48:22.86
Let there be
planning of sacrifices
00:48:22.90\00:48:27.94
for God in order
to advance the work
00:48:27.97\00:48:30.04
in the very places
where it is most needed.
00:48:30.07\00:48:32.14
Every place not entered,
00:48:32.17\00:48:33.81
not worked, has its own claims."
00:48:33.84\00:48:36.24
Listen carefully,
"The anticipation,
00:48:36.28\00:48:38.55
the prospect of
working these fields..."
00:48:38.58\00:48:41.58
In today's language,
00:48:41.62\00:48:42.95
the promo video
about what could be
00:48:42.98\00:48:47.19
must give place to the
grave decided self sacrifice,
00:48:47.22\00:48:53.43
self sacrificing
reality of hard work itself.
00:48:53.46\00:48:59.07
Anticipate all you please
in regard to the regions beyond
00:48:59.10\00:49:02.40
but go to work now."
00:49:02.44\00:49:06.31
That's sharp,
00:49:06.34\00:49:08.84
Review and
Herald, November 21, 1878,
00:49:08.88\00:49:11.51
"Self-denial is a
mark of Christianity.
00:49:11.55\00:49:14.68
To offer to God gifts
that have cost us something,
00:49:14.72\00:49:17.79
a sacrifice that we
shall ask him to use
00:49:17.82\00:49:19.89
to advance his
cause in the earth,
00:49:19.92\00:49:21.26
will be pleasing to him."
00:49:21.29\00:49:23.43
By the way it's
the number one reason
00:49:23.46\00:49:25.56
to give anything to God,
00:49:25.59\00:49:27.20
because it pleases him.
00:49:27.23\00:49:28.56
Amen.
00:49:28.60\00:49:30.37
"The Savior will
accept free will offerings
00:49:30.40\00:49:34.87
of everyone from the
oldest to the youngest,
00:49:34.90\00:49:38.37
even small children may
participate in this work
00:49:38.41\00:49:41.21
and enjoy the privilege
00:49:41.24\00:49:42.58
of bringing their
little offerings."
00:49:42.61\00:49:45.51
We need to
cultivate a self-denying,
00:49:45.55\00:49:48.35
sacrificial giving lifestyle
00:49:48.38\00:49:51.42
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:49:51.45\00:49:52.79
and it should start
with the young people.
00:49:52.82\00:49:56.32
But young people
don't have money you say.
00:49:56.36\00:49:59.49
Children certainly
don't, young people with money.
00:49:59.53\00:50:01.76
You know what's fascinating that
00:50:07.44\00:50:08.77
what might be
such a common sense
00:50:08.80\00:50:10.14
lamentation to us is
not shared by the world.
00:50:10.17\00:50:12.11
Why is it that
the music industry,
00:50:15.38\00:50:16.78
the movie industry,
the fashion industry,
00:50:16.81\00:50:18.78
the junk food industry,
00:50:18.81\00:50:20.15
and half of every other wasteful
00:50:20.18\00:50:22.25
and awful harmful industry
00:50:22.28\00:50:24.12
advertises so
aggressively and in some cases
00:50:24.15\00:50:26.55
almost
exclusively to young people.
00:50:26.59\00:50:28.29
Because they know
well enough that if young,
00:50:31.39\00:50:35.43
people get it in their
mind to want something,
00:50:35.46\00:50:39.60
they'll come up with
the money to make it happen.
00:50:39.63\00:50:43.37
Am I right? Yes.
00:50:43.41\00:50:46.37
Then why is it that a
church, we suddenly imply
00:50:46.41\00:50:49.21
and sometimes outright say
00:50:49.24\00:50:51.51
that the only thing young people
00:50:51.55\00:50:52.88
contribute to the
work of God are time,
00:50:52.91\00:50:54.25
energy and creativity.
00:50:54.28\00:50:55.62
I mean some how you got here
00:50:59.55\00:51:02.66
and of course, you
can and you should give
00:51:02.69\00:51:04.26
to the cause through
those talents of time,
00:51:04.29\00:51:05.79
energy,
creativity, yeah, that's great.
00:51:05.83\00:51:08.90
But I think there is
an untapped reservoir
00:51:08.93\00:51:11.17
of means just waiting
to be sacrificially saved,
00:51:11.20\00:51:14.34
industriously earned
or creatively amassed
00:51:14.37\00:51:17.64
through personal
influence within the ranks
00:51:17.67\00:51:20.48
of the Seventh-day
Adventist young people.
00:51:20.51\00:51:22.74
Save, earn or influence
00:51:22.78\00:51:27.05
for the cause of Christ.
00:51:27.08\00:51:29.75
Review and
Herald, November 14, 1899,
00:51:29.78\00:51:31.85
"There is altogether too
much self-indulgence among us,
00:51:31.89\00:51:34.46
money is spent for
that which is not bread,
00:51:34.49\00:51:37.19
let those who
would please the master
00:51:37.23\00:51:38.96
listen to his words.
00:51:38.99\00:51:40.33
If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself
00:51:40.36\00:51:42.26
and take up his
cross and follow me.
00:51:42.30\00:51:44.00
Let us willingly
practice these words
00:51:44.03\00:51:46.53
and we shall be blessed."
00:51:46.57\00:51:48.10
Now notice this,
00:51:48.14\00:51:49.47
"If all that had been invested
00:51:49.50\00:51:51.11
in self
gratification were counted up,
00:51:51.14\00:51:54.11
the amount would astonish
every church in the land."
00:51:54.14\00:51:57.21
Do you ever notice that
00:52:00.42\00:52:01.75
how your spending can add up
00:52:01.78\00:52:03.12
faster than you
think you did it.
00:52:03.15\00:52:05.49
You know, the same thing is true
00:52:05.52\00:52:06.86
for self sacrificial saving.
00:52:06.89\00:52:10.53
If it's just something that
comes out of you lo and behold
00:52:10.56\00:52:13.13
before you know
it, it's a thing.
00:52:13.16\00:52:16.90
How did that happen?
00:52:16.93\00:52:18.27
Review and
Herald, April 18, 1912,
00:52:21.14\00:52:23.51
"Many today, are keeping back
00:52:23.54\00:52:24.97
that which the
Lord has entrusted them
00:52:25.01\00:52:26.34
for the carrying
forward of his work
00:52:26.37\00:52:28.08
year after year
thousands passed into the grave
00:52:28.11\00:52:31.08
unwarned and unsaved
00:52:31.11\00:52:32.68
while the talent of
means is hidden in a napkin
00:52:32.71\00:52:36.22
buried in worldly enterprises.
00:52:36.25\00:52:39.05
The guilt of
thus hiding the Lord's
00:52:39.09\00:52:40.52
money passes all computation.
00:52:40.56\00:52:44.19
When I see person spending
money for needless trimmings
00:52:44.23\00:52:46.90
or needless
furnishings, I think of Jesus.
00:52:46.93\00:52:52.10
He might have come to this earth
00:52:52.13\00:52:53.47
adorned with the
glory of kingly power
00:52:53.50\00:52:55.70
but he chose a life of
self-denial and self-sacrifice.
00:52:55.74\00:53:00.04
If any man will
come after me said Christ
00:53:00.08\00:53:02.18
let him deny himself,
00:53:02.21\00:53:04.21
take up his cross and follow me.
00:53:04.25\00:53:06.18
Those who
follow in his footsteps
00:53:06.21\00:53:08.38
will remember that every dollar
00:53:08.42\00:53:10.12
they can spare is
needed in the work
00:53:10.15\00:53:12.15
that God has said,
shall be done in the earth."
00:53:12.19\00:53:17.36
Set us, The Signs of
the Times, June 15, 1904,
00:53:17.39\00:53:21.60
"Deny yourself take up the cross
00:53:21.63\00:53:23.03
and follow more closely
in the Savior's footsteps.
00:53:23.06\00:53:25.37
Before you spend
money, ask yourself,
00:53:25.40\00:53:29.37
can I not save this money."
00:53:29.40\00:53:32.21
What a radical concept
before you spend think.
00:53:32.24\00:53:35.61
Isn't that great?
00:53:39.61\00:53:41.35
She's like here's how you
do this radical revolution,
00:53:41.38\00:53:44.82
think,
00:53:44.85\00:53:47.19
as you take out that money,
00:53:47.22\00:53:48.56
as you take out that card,
00:53:48.59\00:53:49.92
as you whatever
way you pay this day,
00:53:49.96\00:53:51.89
before you per
send, think wait a minute.
00:53:51.93\00:53:56.10
Do I need to do that?
00:53:56.13\00:53:59.23
Or is there a way I could do
00:53:59.27\00:54:00.60
whatever I'm about to
do a little bit cheaper
00:54:00.64\00:54:02.30
and that difference
that I was gonna pay anyway
00:54:02.34\00:54:04.24
can go to further the cause.
00:54:04.27\00:54:08.04
Let me give you an example.
00:54:08.08\00:54:09.98
I have no
problem, you should dress,
00:54:10.01\00:54:11.51
I'm not saying that
you gotta go with rags.
00:54:11.55\00:54:12.91
No, no, no dress well.
00:54:12.95\00:54:14.32
Men put on a nice suit,
00:54:14.35\00:54:15.68
look to
representable for the Lord,
00:54:15.72\00:54:17.19
okay,
00:54:17.22\00:54:19.72
but buy the tie at Walmart.
00:54:19.75\00:54:25.03
Nobody's going to
know the difference.
00:54:25.06\00:54:28.66
You just save $15-20
00:54:28.70\00:54:31.80
and that can go save a soul.
00:54:31.83\00:54:35.00
Think about it,
before you spend think.
00:54:35.04\00:54:40.48
Pacific Union
Recorder, March 16, 1905,
00:54:40.51\00:54:43.11
" I appeal to every
family of believers in our land
00:54:43.14\00:54:45.48
to consecrate themselves
to the work of soul-saving,
00:54:45.51\00:54:47.82
pledging' themselves
to advance the Lord's work
00:54:47.85\00:54:49.92
by every means
within their power.
00:54:49.95\00:54:51.65
Let the older ones repress
the desire to gratify self,
00:54:51.69\00:54:54.59
and let the children be taught
00:54:54.62\00:54:56.02
to save their
pennies for the Lord.
00:54:56.06\00:54:58.03
Let parents take up the
cross of self-sacrifice,
00:54:58.06\00:55:00.53
which lies so plainly
in the pathway to holiness.
00:55:00.56\00:55:03.06
Let the young
men and young women
00:55:03.10\00:55:05.50
who are tempted to expend means
00:55:05.53\00:55:07.14
to gratify self, say, "No!
00:55:07.17\00:55:09.04
I will not rob the
cause of God by spending money
00:55:09.07\00:55:11.67
for that which is useless."
00:55:11.71\00:55:14.61
Every bag of skittles.
00:55:14.64\00:55:16.95
Amen.
00:55:16.98\00:55:19.55
Plus it's bad for you anyway.
00:55:19.58\00:55:22.75
Wouldn't it be great
to do some good for you
00:55:22.78\00:55:24.12
and good for God.
00:55:24.15\00:55:26.82
"Time and again the urgency
for these sacrificially saved,
00:55:26.86\00:55:30.03
earned, or influenced money,
00:55:30.06\00:55:31.83
was the expansion of the
gospel into new territories
00:55:31.86\00:55:35.00
to fund the
work of God in places
00:55:35.03\00:55:36.83
most or almost
completely unexposed
00:55:36.87\00:55:39.63
to the light of God's word."
00:55:39.67\00:55:42.87
Counsels of the
Church, page 282,
00:55:42.90\00:55:44.77
I'm not going to say
that she was sarcastic
00:55:44.81\00:55:46.57
but she was clever.
00:55:46.61\00:55:49.54
"There is no, there
is no time to invent ways
00:55:49.58\00:55:53.18
for using up money."
00:55:53.21\00:55:57.12
You know, if you got
20 bucks lying around,
00:55:57.15\00:55:58.49
you're starting to think
00:55:58.52\00:55:59.85
what could I do with that thing.
00:55:59.89\00:56:01.22
We don't have time
for conjuring up ways to,
00:56:01.26\00:56:03.09
we've got plenty of
ways to waste the money,
00:56:03.12\00:56:06.26
the world has seen to that.
00:56:06.29\00:56:07.63
"Use your inventive faculties
in seeking to economize.
00:56:10.97\00:56:16.57
Instead of
gratifying selfish inclination,
00:56:16.60\00:56:18.44
spending money for those things
00:56:18.47\00:56:19.81
that destroy the
reasoning faculties,
00:56:19.84\00:56:21.48
study how to deny self,
00:56:21.51\00:56:23.71
that you may have
something to invest
00:56:23.75\00:56:25.45
in lifting the
standard of truth in new fields.
00:56:25.48\00:56:27.55
The intellect is talents,
00:56:27.58\00:56:30.72
use it in studying how
to best employ your means
00:56:30.75\00:56:34.06
for the salvation of souls."
00:56:34.09\00:56:36.39
Think, GYC,
00:56:36.42\00:56:41.16
Testimonies for the
Church, Volume 9, page 49,
00:56:41.20\00:56:43.16
"Self-sacrifice is the keynote
of the teachings of Christ.
00:56:43.20\00:56:45.93
We are to practice
the same self-sacrifice
00:56:45.97\00:56:48.00
that led him to give himself
up to the death at the cross,
00:56:48.04\00:56:50.31
to make it
possible for human beings
00:56:50.34\00:56:52.01
to have eternal life.
00:56:52.04\00:56:53.44
We are to place in
the Lord's treasury
00:56:53.48\00:56:55.28
all the means we can spare.
00:56:55.31\00:56:57.38
For this means, needy,
unworked fields are calling.
00:56:57.41\00:57:00.38
From many lands
is sounding the cry,
00:57:00.42\00:57:02.15
"Come over and help us."
00:57:02.18\00:57:04.45
Our church members
should feel a deep interest
00:57:04.49\00:57:06.92
in home and foreign missions.
00:57:06.96\00:57:09.36
Great blessings
will come to them
00:57:09.39\00:57:10.83
as they make self-sacrificing
efforts to plant
00:57:10.86\00:57:12.96
the standard of
truth in new territory.
00:57:12.99\00:57:15.46
The money invested in this
work will bring rich returns.
00:57:15.50\00:57:18.67
New converts,
rejoicing in the light
00:57:18.70\00:57:20.80
received from the word,
00:57:20.84\00:57:22.17
will in their turn
give of their means
00:57:22.20\00:57:24.01
to carry the light
of truth to others."
00:57:24.04\00:57:25.61
What if by your
sacrifice you were an example
00:57:25.64\00:57:28.11
to someone else
who can sacrifice too.
00:57:28.14\00:57:30.91
Not only can you save your
own money or earn new money,
00:57:30.95\00:57:33.62
but you could influence
someone else to give money.
00:57:33.65\00:57:36.99
Save, earn, or influence.
00:57:37.02\00:57:42.89
Final one, Counsels
on Stewardship, page 290,
00:57:42.92\00:57:45.83
"As new fields are
opening" and praise the Lord,
00:57:45.86\00:57:48.10
new fields are
opening right now today,
00:57:48.13\00:57:50.73
that were not available
six months or a year ago.
00:57:50.77\00:57:54.94
"As new fields are opened,
00:57:54.97\00:57:56.30
the calls for means
are constantly increasing.
00:57:56.34\00:57:59.41
If ever we need to
exercise economy, it is now.
00:57:59.44\00:58:03.35
All who labor in the cause
00:58:03.38\00:58:04.71
should realize the
importance of closely following
00:58:04.75\00:58:06.82
the Savior's example of
self-denial and economy.
00:58:06.85\00:58:09.75
They should see in
the means that they handle
00:58:09.78\00:58:12.02
a trust which God
has committed to them
00:58:12.05\00:58:14.12
and they should feel under
obligation to exercise tact
00:58:14.16\00:58:17.53
and financial ability in the use
00:58:17.56\00:58:19.39
of their Lord's money.
00:58:19.43\00:58:20.86
Every penny should
be carefully treasured.
00:58:20.90\00:58:24.17
It seems like a trifle
00:58:24.20\00:58:26.63
but a 100 cents makes a dollar.
00:58:26.67\00:58:28.70
And rightly
spent may be the means
00:58:33.78\00:58:36.48
of saving a soul from death.
00:58:36.51\00:58:40.72
If all the means
which had been wasted
00:58:40.75\00:58:42.88
by our own people
in self-gratification
00:58:42.92\00:58:45.02
had been devoted
to the cause of God,
00:58:45.05\00:58:47.09
there would be
no empty treasuries
00:58:47.12\00:58:48.82
and missions
could be established
00:58:48.86\00:58:50.53
in all parts of the world.
00:58:50.56\00:58:51.89